Can Dogs Eat Coconuts? – Your Questions Answered!

6 min read

Can dogs eat coconuts?

If you are an owner of a beautiful dog, then we’re sure that you should have come across this question by now.

Before going into the details of whether dogs can safely eat coconuts or not, let us say that coconuts are hugely predominant species that are found in the subtropical as well the tropical regions across the planet and are pretty versatile in nature.

This is due to the fact that the coconut is such a fruit, whose every part comes in use for a human.

Along with its nutritional and edible properties, coconuts are also pretty useful in other household activities too. However, whatever is deemed safe to be consumed by humans is not really good for your pet dog too! Thus, the question of whether coconuts are safe for dogs arises.

Can Dogs Eat Coconuts? – The Truth

Well, the answer is YES!

While some people have been found to give coconuts to their pet dogs to play with, they have later been reported to open the same for them to eat as well!

Coconuts can have an array of great health benefits for your beloved dog if consumed. But the fact remains that not all parts should be given to them.

The safely edible parts of coconuts that dogs can eat include:

Coconut Meat

This is nothing but the pulp or the inner flesh of this fruit which can be easily digested by the pets with utmost ease. The coconut meat is great for the pet dogs due to the reason that it is loaded with carbohydrates and proteins that are beneficial for your dog’s overall system.

Coconut Water

As a responsible caretaker of your lovely dog, this is another part of the coconut that you can safely dish out to your dog. The coconut water is very useful when it comes to the overall health of your four-legged friend.

This is hugely because coconut water is low in the salt content, calories as well as sugar and is high in potassium, essential minerals and antioxidant content in them which, put together, does a world of good to the pets!

In the scorching summer days, coconut water can serve as the finest of health drink for the dogs that can increase their energy levels manifold!

Coconut Oil

Another great by-product of coconuts that a pet dog can easily consume is the oil extracted out of the fruit. This is due to the fact that coconut oil is loaded with components such as medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) which are greatly beneficial for the dog’s overall health too!

The parts of coconuts which should NOT BE CONSUMED by the pet dogs include:

Coconut Shells

The shells of the fruits are the only one thing in this fruit which should be kept away from your pets at all the times.

Even if your pet loves to chew the shell, you need to be cautious of the fact that none of the strands should enter their system even by chance.

The shells are too hard and even if your dog is just playing with it, it can wreck havoc on your dog’s teeth. Also, the hairs in the shell can wind up with your dog’s digestive system, and that’s not good news at all. Both the scenarios are dangerous and undesirable.

Health Benefits of Coconuts for Dogs

We can keep on talking about the nutrient factors of coconuts as there is plenty of it. But now, let’s take some time to discuss the actual health benefits that eating coconut can bring to your dog.

Coconut Meat

The coconut meat or the flesh part as discussed above is deemed safe for a dog’s consumption due to an array of reasons and health benefits associated with it.

The foremost reason for it being so beneficial is because this meat is extremely loaded with fibers that help in the digestive system health. Along with this, the coconut meat is also rich in albumin that is helpful in the formation of blood as well.

Coconut Water

Coconut water is high in nutrient content that are great for the dogs. You can use coconut water whenever your dog is feeling a lack of energy. Yes, they can easily boost the energy levels in dogs.

They can also decrease the chances of having issues like dehydration during summer time as they are rich in electrolytes.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is one of the by-products of coconuts, and your dog can’t have it directly. But it is a great source of saturated acids, lauric acid and is also full of anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties on them.

You should consider giving coconut oil to your dog as it can make the skin and hair of your dog healthier. This can also be used to treat infections, cuts and wounds externally, improves immunity, bone health, and metabolism. It’s great for your buddy’s gastrointestinal health as well.

Safety Precautions

Yes, coconut comes with a lot of health benefits, and it’s great for your dog’s health. But that is true when he gets the good part and not the entire shell (or pieces of it).

We have mentioned earlier that the shell is very hard and is not good for your dog. If your dog loves to play with a random coconut, it’s fine. But if he keeps on biting it, then might realise that the hard shell is a bit too tough to crack. It can also damage the teeth of your dog.

Another very serious issue is the hair on the shell. There are hundreds of hairs, and your dog can get some of them into his digestive system. This is not great news and will cause some health problems.

So don’t allow your dog to play with a coconut that often. But if he really wants to, make sure to remove the hairs on top of it as much as possible. Also, shorten the sessions to prevent the damage of your dog’s teeth.

If you are planning to add coconut as a part of your dog’s daily diet, think again. Coconuts are good, but giving them daily is definitely not a good idea. Instead, give your dog some coconuts now and then in moderation.